


A Tangled Web

by phantomchajo



Series: SilverHawks: Beta-Verse [4]
Category: SilverHawks
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-13
Updated: 2014-01-13
Packaged: 2018-01-08 15:46:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1134496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomchajo/pseuds/phantomchajo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Crossing paths while settling in</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Tangled Web

**Author's Note:**

> This entire series was written as an RP on a message board I created, so when you see '~~' it means a change in writers.

'A Tangled Web'

 

After sitting in Admissions for what seemed like forever, Keedra finally got his dorm room assignment.  Worn out from sheer boredom he headed straight to his dorm room to start getting settled.  Fortunately he was getting the hang of the shuttle system and had no trouble finding his way to the dorms.  He sighed when he saw how similar the buildings looked.  They were like carbon copies.  The building numbers were in clear view so that problem was remedied.  Before leaving admissions he had received and ID badge.  The administrator told him that without it he wouldn't have access to his room so it was important to hold on to it.  He finally entered the correct building with his ID badge hanging around his neck.  He saw that there were two people at the desk in front of him.  One person looked very familiar.  When he recognized the human he called out to her and waved.  When she turned to look at him her expression was far from friendly. 

~~

Zan glanced over her shoulder at the Martian, a scowl etched on her face. Turning back she snatched her ID back from the Cadet in charge of the Firewatch and Logging everyone In and Out of the Dorm section. Opening the door into the dry desert like heat of the stairwell, she took the stairs two at a time. She passed the second Cadet on firewatch, again scowling before passing.

Once the door was open, a nice cool air-conditioned breeze wafted by her. Turning left then right she walked down the corridor to the middle door on the right. Using her ID Badge, she swiped it though the reader and stepped inside before closing it again. The main area of the 2 room suite was very neat and orderly. Very bare of anything to indicate that anyone was living in these quarters. She passed into the room on the right and closed her door. Once more this room was very neat and organized, not a single piece of evidence to point to the chaotic personality of the young woman that lived there.

~~

 Downstairs, Aurora offered her badge to the cadet on duty, then went up and stopped at the second checkpoint.

"Cadet Buchanan," she said, holding out her badge again. "I'm supposed to get my room assignment here?"

"That's right.. Just one second."  The cadet fussed with his terminal a moment, then pulled out a blank diagram of the dorm floor and started marking. "Your quarters are here; you're sharing a double with another cadet.  Women's lavs are here and here," he indicated, marking opposing corners, "and Men's opposite.  You can't enter your room without your ID, so if you should happen to lose it, go to Admin before trying to get back in here.  Inspections  take place at least twice a week, and the days and times are random.  Any contraband will result in immediate dismissal from the program, yadda, yadda.  Nothing new under the sun, right?"

"Right."  Aurora studied the map for a moment.  "So down this hall, right?  And this is the closest lav? "

"You've got it.  See you around, Cadet, " he said, handing her ID back.

"Thanks."  Turning, Aurora made her way down the hall and scanned her ID, opening the door.  Once inside, Aurora could have sworn she was alone in the space if the cadet hadn't specifically told her she was sharing.  Hearing an indistinct noise behind one of the closed doors, urora called out.

"Hello?"

~~

Zan was seated at her desk, reading over the text on the vid screen in front of her. She glanced up at the sound of someone calling out in the main room. She frowned, eyes narrowing slightly. ‘I’d say it was someone lost if it wasn’t for the fact that the reader wouldn’t let them in unless programmed to do so.’  Shutting down the vid screen, she stood, walked to her door and opened it. A curl of the lip and a soft growl was the only greeting as she closed her door again and returned to her desk. Her jacket swaying from the hook on the back of her door.

Sitting back down at her desk, she re-opened her vid screen and continued where she left off. As much as she hated taking the same classes over and over again, the instructors could not say she never turned in her assignments. Even when the assignments were the same as the ones in the previous class, Zan always turned in fresh assignments. And as much as it irked the instructors, they could not claim she cheated on either tests or assignments. She just hate having to retake the class because of something so inconsequential (to her) as have a few minor disciplines on her record, thus being refused the Hands-On Flight classes. At least she was able to get in some flight time, even if it was Sims instead of the real thing.

~~

Aurora blinked a moment as her charge stuck her head out one of the doors, frowned, then closed it again without so much as a word.  "Not much for socializing, I guess," she murmured, looking more carefully around the common living space.  It had the usual furnishings; chairs, table, small social area, and a tiny kitchenette off to one side, more suited to preparing a midnight snack than anything significant.  And it was completely barren of any kind of personalized touch.

"Not much for decor, either, it looks like."

Ignoring the room on the right nor the moment (it was clearly occupied, after all,) she made her way to the one on the left, noting when she opened it to look around that her bags were already waiting in the center of the room.  She unpacked quickly, stowing away spare uniforms and the few casual clothes she'd brought with her, then stared for a moment at the small collection of personal possessions she'd brought with her.  It wasn't much, really, since she hadn't considered the possibility that she would have both her own room and a common area so in need of work.  And she couldn't live in a space that had nothing to look at but walls.  Taking a deep breath, she scooped up all but a couple of pictures and headed for the main room.  This wasn't a gulag, by God, and she certainly wasn't going to live as if it was.

~~

'Although the dorms were co-ed, the men's' quarters were opposite the women's' quarters.  Upon entering the common area he saw that there was nothing but a couple small couches, a coffee table, and a floor lamp.  There was also a small kitchen area.  Keedra opened the refrigerator to find nothing inside.  After checking both room he realized that his roommate, if he had one, had not arrived yet.  Taking this chance he chose the room with the best view.  Fortunately the key he had was a match for the lock.  He smiled at his good fortune.  Normally things would have been the other way around.  As he locked up his belongings he prayed that he wouldn't be getting a roommate anytime soon.  The solitude would be good for meditation.

~~

As soon as he headed for the kitchen area to ponder what to put in the cabinets the main door to the suite opened.  Keedra watched as a human with very, very white hair walk into the place and walk past him without saying a word.  Thinking that perhaps the other hadn't seen him standing there, he greeted the human.

"Hello.  I'm Cadet Fasir.  You may address me as Keedra if you'd like,"  he greeted with a smile and a slight bow.

~~

Over on the women's side, Zan found her studies interrupted again, this time by a knock on her door.  Shoving herself away from the terminal, she stormed to the door and yanked it open.

"What?"

Her latest babysitter-slash-roommate stood on the other side, and past her, in the room, she could see framed prints leaning against the sofa.

"Do you have a hammer I could borrow?"

Zan blinked a minute, then shook her head.  "No."

The watchdog shrugged.  "Okay.  Guess I'll think of something else.  Thanks anyway."  She stepped away, and Zan closed the door to return to her work.

She looked up again a few minutes later at the sound of banging, and frowned.  The girl had been looking for a hammer, and though Zan was fairly sure she hadn't heard the outer door open or close, apparently the girl was resourceful enough to come up with one.  Or stupid enough to forget she had one and ask for another.  Only time would tell which was right.

The pounding went on intermittently for several minutes, and finally Zan's curiosity got the better of her and she saved her work and stood.  Opening the door, she leaned casually against the jamb and watched as her new roommate, standing in stocking feet on a dining-area chair, and pounding a nail into the wall, using what looked like a boot for a hammer.

Apparently satisfied, she dropped the boot, and old., broken-in Western model, Zan noted, and jumped down.  Then she hoisted a 2'x3' print up, manuevered it around until it was on the nail, and stepped back.

"Much better," she murmured, clearly talking to herself.

"If you say so."

The roomie turned.  "You don't like Van Gogh?" she asked.

Zan scratched head and stared at it a moment. "That's art? what was the painter or whatever he or she was, on at the time?"

"Any number of things.  He painted it while he was confined to an asylum, so it's a bit more abstract than some of his other stuff.  I kind of like the vague, off-kilter nature of it."

As Zan looked around, she could see that there were quite a few additions to the room's walls.  Something that looked like the silhouette or a castle at dawn or dusk hung near the door, and a print of water lilies hung on the narrow wall that divided the kitchenette from the dining area.

"I see you're feeling right at home," she commented sourly.

The sarcasm seemed lost, however.  "Getting there."

Zan turned and went back to her room, but something kept her from slamming the door.

~~

“Oh wonderful....” Alex muttered as he saw the esteemed captain enter the building.  He looked at his assignment and again at the building.  Of all the rotten luck...  He was sharing a building with her.

“You always mess with a good thing, Alex,” he berated himself before sighing and heading up the stairs of the dorm.  He’d had his own room, in a different building, but had asked for a transfer, citing lack of space.  He didn’t have tons of stuff he needed room for, but he needed space.

The lack of room in the single dorms meant he had to do most of his sword training outside, and he was sick of the stares.  And sick of the stupid questions people seemed to ask whenever they saw him with it.  “How heavy is it?  How big is it?  Can I hold it?”  It had gotten to the point where he was getting up at daybreak just to avoid the people, and practice with some measure of solitude.  But with classes being what they were, he simply couldn’t get up at five to practice every morning.

So with the common room, he’d have enough room to swing it without tearing gashes in the walls.  And it meant dealing with only one person asking annoying questions.  And those would stop after a while he was sure.

Still, he’d be lying if he didn’t confess to a little trepidation.  The house he had grown up in had been very small, and he was an only child.  He had never... lived with anyone his own age, and it was that unknown that got to him.

He was hardly listening as he was told the rules and given a new keycard, for the room.  He had always believed himself ready to deal with any situation, and that belief had been proven accurate in all his training... but social situations were a different beast altogether.  And those were something he did not deal with.  Comfortably with at any rate..

He slid the key through the lock and pushed the door open.  The room seemed large enough for his purposes once the couches were pushed against the wall.  At first glance it appeared empty, and he was glad.  He might have some time to get himself situated.

His first glance however, appeared faulty has he spotted a tall green humanoid standing in the kitchenette.  He muttered to himself.  He’d even never shared a room with a human! Never mind an alien!  “Nothing like jumping in with both feet...”

“Hello,” the alien addressed him, smiling and bowing politely.  “I am Cadet Fasir.  You may address me as Keedra if you like.”

“Alex,” he replied curtly, looking Keedra up and down.  He was taller than Alex, no great feat, Alex only hit about 5'9, but this Keedra was also very lanky, and Alex guessed he probably outweighed him by a good twenty pounds or so.  He was also has bald, and stared at Alex with a pair of bright yellow eyes. Alex shifted the weight of his duffle and sword as he regarded the other “Something I can do for you?”'

~~

Keedra blinked as he processed the human's question.

"Uhn...no not really," he replied as he wondered if he looked like he needed assistance to the smaller being.  "I was wondering how you were allowed to bring a weapon into the dorm.  Is it a family heirloom?"

Keedra was trying so hard to make conversation.  His older brother had advised him to be more social while at the academy.  He believed timidness was a sign of weakness.  Keedra didn't believe that, but he did want to seem friendly to the human.

~~

 Zan glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand then back at the vid screen. It was getting close to the noon lunch hour. It was a debate on going to the mess hall for lunch or just seeing what she could dig up. With an annoyed sigh she saved all her work then shut down the vid. After standing she exited her room, then went to the kitchenette area. Opening the cabinets she noted that she would be needing another trip to the commissary soon. Crackers and a few cup-o-noodles were all that was left at the moment.

She also noted a coffee pot setting on the counter, a pot of the dark liquid already brewed and sitting there. As good as it smelled, she could never stand the taste of it. Her preference ran to tea, hot cocoa, juices or just plain water.

With a soft growl of annoyance she let the door shut with a bang then turned to go back to her room to grab her jacket, card and wallet. She hated the mess hall because of all the stares and whispers behind her back. It made her edgy and tended to end in some type of confrontation. Usually with her getting the shitty end of the deal.

~~

Alex arched his eyebrow at the question.  He couldn’t recall being asked that one before.  “Something like that.”

Which was true, the sword had been in his family for generations.   Keedra seemed perplexed and Alex grumbled thinking this was going to be a trend.  “And special permission,” he clarified. “Skills must be practiced, less they atrophy.  Like how muscles turn soft if you quit exercising.  I simply cannot afford to neglect my sword training for the years required to make it through the academy.”

Keedra still seemed puzzled.  “But I thought you humans had given up swords a millennia ago?  Aren’t rifles and guns a superior form of fighting?”

“Absolutely not!" Alex protested, as he headed to the first door he came to, deciding to put his stuff way.

“I...um..that’s my room..” Keedra said sheepishly, “I could trade with you... if you want.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”  Alex snorted, heading to the next door and tossing his duffle on the bed and leaning his sword against the wall.  “The biggest myth in the world is that guns are a superior method of fighting.  Efficient, sure.  But superior?  Any fool can use a gun.”  Alex replied in a huff.  Somehow, in their first minute of meeting, Keedra had pressed the one button that got Alex riled.

“But what’s more powerful, honestly?  A little bolt of light no wider than the width of a finger?  Or six feet of razor sharp steel?” he crossed his arms across his chest and leaning against the door jamb.  “Besides, do you know how personal energy shields work?”

Keedra knew exactly how they worked, but before he could explain in detail, Alex continued talking.  “They dissipate energy and by spreading it out over the surface of the field.  Try dissipating steel!”

Alex grew silent and Keedra grew nervous.  Not the first impression he was hoping to make.  He began trying to figure a way to apologize when Alex just shrugged and stood. “Please excuse my ranting.” he mumbled, regaining his composure.  He slid his keycard into a pocket and headed to the dorm’s exit.  “I’m going to lunch.”

~~

for a few moments Keedra stood in shocked silence before catching up with the human.

"Please wait!  I wanted to apologize.  I did not mean to offend.  You are one of the few humans I have actually met and I have so much to learn.  I'm just...not used to seeing weapons such as swords.  I am quite curious about it though."

~~

After grabbing her stuff, she shut her bedroom door and then stalked through the main room. Without a glance she exited, made a left headed down the hall then turned left again. Entering the stairwell, she ignored the guard standing on fire watch, taking the stairs rapidly she was at the bottom and exiting the scorching dry heat in just under a minute. Her rapid pace was halted as she had to wait on the cadet in charge of noting who entered and left the second floor. It depended on their attitude towards her as to how long she had to wait.

 

  
  



End file.
